Wisdom of the Bee

Holy Spirit, give me your intelligence, and I will live. Ps. XVIII

Bouasse-Lebel, Paris

"The glory of God is the human person fully alive."
~ St. Irenaeus

'Meditation is made, we may say, as the bees make honey; for they make it by gathering the dew that falls from heaven... Thus we go over and over the life of our Lord in meditation, taking up one action after another, and considering them, in order to compose the honey of holy virtues, and draw from them the graces of a holy meditation.'

~ St. Francis de Sales, 'Mystical Flora'

Wisdom of the Bee is a collection of European holy cards from the late 1800's and one from the mid 20th century in which the image of the bee, the hive, or honey was central.
Traditionally in Christian art the hive symbolized the Church, while bees symbolized the Christians and their work. As metaphor, honey was less a symbol than a mystical understanding of the reception of the life of Christ especially during the celebration of the Eucharist.
I found it deeply meaningful that at Morning Mass on the day after I'd begun to assemble this page, Fr. Lawrence, our beloved Salesian priest, looked to the saints to remind us that our words within us grow still as we receive Our Lord: He descends into our heart like a drop of honey, and ~ filled with all sweetness ~ we can but delight in His Presence.

This winter, our neighbor, Joanie discovered a swarm of bees in search of shelter. She and her husband brought them home to their wooded hillsided, provided a hive and water and tenderly cared for them. By springtime the colony was thriving, and this summer there will be a celebration with family and friends. This family, working in love and harmony with these creatures and their Creator, has brought a gentle happiness to our little corner of the world. I gathered this collection together to express my wonder, my gratitude, and my love.

Maintained by Holy Card Heaven

Wisdom of the Bee

Video of the life at Redwoods Monastery ( beekeepers )

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